Annabelle

I gave this film: 3 stars

Why?


The Annabelle doll framed The Conjuring film, and the intriguing last shot created curiosity around her unsettling presence. As a prequel, Annabelle had the opportunity to delve into the history of the doll, but settled on cliched horror tropes. The doll itself was creepy enough to carry the film, but that left a shallow plot development that made little sense. The cast was pretty believable, as was the historical premise. The facts about Charles Manson and cults as well as the effective use of '60s music to create suspense and mood helped set the film in the context of the period. This is more than most modern horror films do, so it gave the audience a chance to escape to a different time. The most creative parts of the film were the ones not shown the trailer, to its credit, such as an encounter in the basement, a child's drawing, and a terrifying set of hallucinations. The careful cinematography and sound editing contributed to the suspense of looking around corners, down halls, and out windows, only to find Annabelle waiting, and watching.